1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a decorative pleatable material adapted for the fabrication of energy-efficient pleated shades and the method of manufacturing such material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pleated shades of various construction have been in use for many years. They have been manufactured in continuous form utilizing pleating machines. The materials that have been used for fabrication of the pleated shades have included polyester fabrics, laminated cottons and non-wovens. Among the most recent materials utilized in pleated shade fabrication are vacuum metalized polyester fabrics. The metalized coat on such polyester fabrics does not, however, provide a decorative face, rather the deposited metal, generally aluminum, forms a coating that is dull grey in appearance. Vacuum metalized fabrics also lack opacity, that is, a portion of the sunlight is neither absorbed nor reflected and is thereby allowed to pass through the fabric.
Indeed, pleated fabrics of the prior art used for window treatment have typically not been able to prevent light passage because the structure of fabrics inherently has openings through which light passes. This is true even where fabrics have been dyed and/or printed in vapor phase systems. Universally, the resultant decorative finishes still permit the passage of substantial light through the fabric.